Economic burden of measles outbreaks: a cost-of-illness study in a middle-income country in the post-elimination era.

Objective: To estimate the direct costs associated with the diagnosis, treatment, and control of measles cases in Brazil from 2018 to 2020.

Methods: This cost-of-illness study utilized a prevalence-based approach, considering direct costs incurred by the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) related to measles outbreaks, including costs of inpatient care, outpatient care, and laboratory tests, as well as measles-containing vaccines and laboratory tests (viral isolation) used for outbreak control. Costs are presented in 2020 US dollars.

Costs of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy compared to conventional radiotherapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer - a micro-costing study using Time-Driven Activity Based Costing (TDABC).

Background: Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Brazil. Radiotherapy is an important therapeutic option, but the techniques used remain subjects of discussion. In this study, we compared the costs of conventional radiotherapy (CRT) and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) in the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methodological guidelines and publications of benefit-risk assessment for health technology assessment: a scoping review.

Objectives: To map the available methodological guidelines and documents for conducting and reporting benefit-risk assessment (BRA) during health technologies' life cycle; and to identify methodological guidelines for BRA that could serve as the basis for the development of a BRA guideline for the context of health technology assessment (HTA) in Brazil.

Design: Scoping review.

Methods: Searches were conducted in three main sources up to March 2023: (1) electronic databases; (2) grey literature (48 HTA and regulatory organisations) and (3) manual search and contacting experts.

Oncology and Palliative Care Integration Model: A Cost Analysis Study in a Brazilian Hospital Setting.

In 2019, the São Paulo State Cancer Institute (ICESP) implemented a novel model integrating Oncology with Palliative Care specialists. We evaluated the impact of this model on healthcare resource utilization and costs. We analyzed data from all patients who passed away in February (1 month prior to implementation) and November (8 months after model implementation group) at ICESP, Brazil.

Wheelchair outcome measurement instruments for children: a scoping review protocol.

Purpose: The proposed scoping review aims to explore and map wheelchair outcome measurement instruments for children in the literature.

Method: The proposed scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. The review question and eligibility criteria were developed using the PCC (population, concept, context) mnemonic as follows: (P) children manual or motorised wheelchair users (aged ≤ 18 years), (C) wheelchair outcome measurement instruments, (C) primary sources of literature.

Methodological guidelines and publications of benefit-risk assessment for health technology assessment: a scoping review protocol.

Background: Benefit-risk assessment (BRA) is used in multiple phases along the health technology's life-cycle to evaluate the balance between the benefits and risks, as it is fundamental to all stakeholders. BRA and its methodological approaches have been applied primarily in the context of regulatory agencies. However, BRA's application and extent in the context of health technology assessment (HTA) bodies remain less clear.

Does patient and public involvement impact public health decision-making? A 10 year retrospective analysis of public consultation in Brazil.

Background:  The aim of this work is to characterize the processes associated with patient and public involvement (PPI) in the form of public consultations (PC) during the first 10 years of operation of the National Committee for Health Technology Incorporation in the Unified Health System (Conitec) of Brazil, and to identify factors associated with changes in Conitec's recommendations following these PC.

Methods:  This cross-sectional study analysed all processes related to the adoption of technologies that took place in Brazil between 2012 and 2021 based on technical reports and self-reported information collected from PC participants. A multiple logistic regression model identified factors associated with changes in Conitec's recommendations following PC.

Economic evaluations of colorectal cancer screening: A systematic review and quality assessment.

Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer worldwide and ranks second in mortality. Screening programs for early detection and treatment have been implemented in several countries. Economic evaluations are an important tool to support decision-making about reimbursement and coverage decisions in health systems and, therefore, to support efficient resource allocation.

The methodological quality of economic evaluations of measles outbreaks: A systematic review of cost-of-illness studies.

Objectives: To identify the main cost components included in the economic evaluations of measles outbreaks, their items and cost drivers, and evaluate the quality of costing methodology, analyzing the key features that may affect the validity of these studies in countries with different income levels.

Methods: We systematically searched multiple databases EMBASE, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde do Ministério da Saúde (BVS MS), NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED) and NHS Health Technology Assessment (NHS HTA) (via The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination Library - CRD), and EconLit, SCOPUS, and Web of Science, selecting cost analysis and cost of illness studies (COI) of measles outbreaks. Two independent reviewers screened articles for relevance and extracted the data.

Systematic review of economic evaluations on stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) compared to other radiotherapy techniques or surgical procedures for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is recommended as first-choice treatment to inoperable early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, it is not widely adopted in developing countries, and its cost-effectiveness is unclear. We aimed to perform a systematic review of full economic evaluations (EE) that compared SABR with other radiotherapy or surgical procedures to assess the results and methodological approach.

Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for evaluating cancer treatments in hospital-based health technology assessment: The Paraconsistent Value Framework.

Background: In recent years, the potential of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in the health field has been discussed widely. However, most MCDA methodologies have given little attention to the aggregation of different stakeholder individual perspectives.

Objective: To illustrate how a paraconsistent theory-based MCDA reusable framework, designed to aid hospital-based Health Technology Assessment (HTA), could be used to aggregate individual expert perspectives when valuing cancer treatments.

Multicriteria decision analysis in health care decision in oncology: a systematic review.

Introduction: Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) has been used to inform health decisions in health technology assessments (HTA) processes. This is particularly important to complex treatment decisions in oncology.

Areas Covered: Five databases (PubMed, EMBASE, LILACS, Web of Science and CRD's NHS Economic Evaluation Database) were searched for studies comparing health technologies in oncology, involving the concept MCDA.

Economic evaluation of wheelchairs interventions: a systematic review.

Objective: The overall aim of this systematic review was to identify and synthesise the best available evidence on effectiveness, resource use and costs involved in wheelchair interventions of adults with mobility limitations.

Methodology: This systematic review was undertaken in accordance with the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination Guidelines. The protocol for this systematic review was registered with PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic reviews.

Effects of 3D image-guided brachytherapy compared to 2D conventional brachytherapy on clinical outcomes in patients with cervical cancer: A systematic review and meta-analyses.

Purpose: To assess the effects of three-dimensional image-guided brachytherapy (3D BT) compared to bi-dimensional BT (2D BT) on clinical outcomes in patients with cervical cancer.

Methods And Materials: We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and LILACS for studies assessing the effects of 3D BT versus 2D BT on clinical outcomes. Two reviewers independently screened retrieved citations, extracted data and assessed risk of bias from eligible studies.

Health technology assessment of biosimilars worldwide: a scoping review.

Background: Health technology assessment (HTA) should provide an assessment of a technology's effects on health and of the related social, economic, organisational and ethical issues. HTA reports on biosimilars can specifically assess their immunogenicity, their extrapolation to one or more conditions, and the risks of interchangeability and substitution. We aimed to complete a scoping review within the context of HTA organisations to synthesise HTA reports on biosimilars and to map the extension, scope and methodological practices.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of universal adult immunization with tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) versus current practice in Brazil.

Background: A pertussis outbreak occurred in Brazil from 2011 to 2014, despite high coverage of whole-cell pertussis containing vaccines in early childhood. Infants were the most affected. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of introducing universal adult vaccination with Tdap into the National Immunization Program in Brazil.

Palliative cancer care: costs in a Brazilian quaternary hospital.

Unlabelled: Palliative care (PC) improves the quality of life of patients with diseases such as cancer, and several studies have shown a reduction in costs among patients who use PC services when compared with those receiving standard oncological treatments. Most studies on PC costs are carried out in high-income countries. There is a lack of these types of studies in middle-income and low-income countries and of better evidence about this intervention.

Systematic review of health economic evaluation studies of dengue vaccines.

Objectives: To review the literature on economic evaluation of dengue vaccination to produce evidence to support a local cost-effectiveness study and to subsidize the decision to introduce a dengue vaccine in the Brazilian National Immunization Program.

Methods: We systematically searched multiple databases (MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, SCOPUS, NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED), HTA Database (via Centre for Reviews and Dissemination - CRD) and LILACS), selecting full HEEs of dengue vaccine. Two independent reviewers screened articles for relevance and extracted the data.

Cost-effectiveness of on-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting for patients with coronary artery disease: Results from the MASS III trial.

Background: Recent trials have reported similar clinical outcomes between on-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). However, long-term cost-effectiveness of these strategies is unknown.

Methods: A prespecified economic study was performed based on the MASS III trial.

Economic evaluation of adolescents and adults' pertussis vaccination: A systematic review of current strategies.

The reemergence of pertussis in the last two decades led to the introduction of adolescents and adults immunization strategies of tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccines (Tdap) in several countries. The health authorities must consider economic aspects when deciding to recommend and fund new programs. Here we present a systematic review of worldwide full economic evaluations of pertussis vaccination targeting adolescents or adults published from 2000.

Health Economic Evaluations of Cancer in Brazil: A Systematic Review.

Unlabelled: A large number of health economic evaluation (HEE) studies have been published in developed countries. However, Brazilian HEE literature in oncology has not been studied.

Objective: To investigate whether the scientific literature has provided a set of HEE in oncology capable of supporting decision making in the Brazilian context.

Challenges to decision-making processes in the national HTA agency in Brazil: operational procedures, evidence use and recommendations.

Background: The quality of the evidence used in health technology assessment (HTA) agency reports has been considered essential for decision-making processes and their legitimacy. In Brazil, CONITEC is the agency responsible for defining data mandatory for the submission of proposals for the incorporation of new technologies. The objective of this study was to analyse CONITEC recommendation reports, the type of scientific evidence used in them and their compliance with operational procedures.